Political Gumbo

As is often the case when there’s a lot going on in the world of politics, I couldn’t really focus on one topic. That’s when I take the various ingredients and whip up a batch of political gumbo…

…The whole Roy Moore thing down in Alabama will be front and center in U.S. political news until next week’s statewide senatorial election. Despite well over a dozen allegations of everything from “inappropriate relations” with teenage girls when he was in his 30s, to pedophilia, to sexual assault, Trump and the Republican National Committee are backing Moore in his race with Democrat Doug Jones. A lot of voters in Alabama would rather have a pedophile in the Senate than a Democrat. The party of “Christian conservatives” has sold its soul…

…Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has done a complete flip-flop on Moore. Not long after the allegations were made public, McConnell was unequivocal: “I believe the women.” Now he’s just parroting the party line: “Alabama voters will decide who they want their senator to be.” What a mealy-mouthed coward…

…Meanwhile, Democratic Senator Al Franken is facing increasing pressure to resign. Franken was recently accused of inappropriate sexual behavior while on an overseas USO tour… well before he ran for office. Now six female Democratic senators (and at least two men, so far) are calling for Franken’s resignation. (UPDATE: The total is up in the 20s now. Goodbye, Al.)…

…I’ve said from the beginning that the investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russians would get interesting when they got former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn to talk. This past week’s plea deal makes it clear that Flynn will be singing like a bird… if he isn’t already. Flynn pled guilty to lying to the FBI, the lesser of many possible presumed charges against him. Here’s the problem: How good is an admitted liar on the witness stand? Special prosecutor Robert Mueller know this. I think he’s using Flynn to lead to people and documentation that will buttress his case. This prosecution is like an iceberg. There’s a whole lot more going on under the surface…

…Rumors are also flying this week that embattled Attorney General Jeff Sessions could be fired or resign by the end of the week. Sessions and Trump have been on the outs since the former recused himself from any aspect of the latter’s investigation. Trump would love to fire Mueller, but he’d rather have Sessions’ potential replacement do the dirty work…

…I just don’t see any way Trump can get rid of Sessions without further allegations of obstruction of justice. Recent statements from the Trump legal team that the president is “above the law” have already got Constitutional scholars arguing. I get the feeling that this administration will cause a lot of such arguments…